


Remorse

by watermelonriddles



Category: Gotham (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 12:14:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9820121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watermelonriddles/pseuds/watermelonriddles
Summary: Set after 3x14."On the one hand, he had gotten justice for Isabella and for that he still felt accomplished. She deserved to still have her life, but he couldn’t give her that, so the next best thing was making sure the person who took her life also lost theirs. Only it wasn’t as simple as that because it was Oswald."





	

Edward sat alone at the bar, nursing his recent drink. He already started to feel light and fuzzy, but it was nowhere near enough to make him forget. The sound of the gunshot still rang in his ears, and he could still see the look on Oswald’s face as he sunk into the water. He remembered the fleeting moment of relief that he had felt from having pulled the trigger, but it vanished almost instantly after the fact, and that made the whole thing so much worse. He would be able to handle not being able to forget the sound or the look on Oswald’s face if he didn’t feel so terrible about what he had done.

On the one hand, he had gotten justice for Isabella and for that he still felt accomplished. She deserved to still have her life, but he couldn’t give her that, so the next best thing was making sure the person who took her life also lost theirs. Only it wasn’t as simple as that because it was Oswald.

It was his best friend, the person Edward was closest to. The more he thought about it the more he came to realise that he had never had a relationship quite like the one he’d had with Oswald, and he probably never would again. No matter how pleased he was at the thought of having gotten revenge for Isabella, it would never be enough to cover the pain he felt over the fact that it had been Oswald.

Edward finally downed the rest of his drink and, as he closed his eyes, he pushed the glass forcing it to slide down the bar away from him. He took a moment to revel in the warmth, and when he opened his eyes he found Barbara sitting next to him.

“I thought you’d be in a better mood,” she said before taking a sip from her martini glass. “Anyone would have thought poor Ozzie got away.”

“Don’t.”

It was the lack of emotion behind it that made Barbara hold her tongue. She had to admit that when he had come back this morning without Oswald it had stunned her, even if just for a moment. Part of her figured he wouldn’t be able to go through with it. So when Edward had stopped in front of her she had leant to the side, peered around him, and asked, “where is he?” She had known the answer the moment Edward walked away without a word.

Now here he was, drinking away in her club. Where he had been all day she had no idea, but she took note of the fact that he had changed his clothes. His hair had curled slightly from the rain and one particular strand hung in front of his eyes. He tried to push it back a couple of times before ultimately giving up.

“You should be celebrating,” she told him. “This is what you wanted.”

He shook his head. “I wanted justice for Isabella.”

“And you got that.”

“But I should have stopped before it went too far.”

“Because it was Oswald that did it?” He looked sideways at her and she laughed. “That  shouldn’t make a difference.”

Edward rubbed at his eyes, knocking his glasses slightly. “I said I would do anything for him, I told him he could count on me.”

“And then he killed your girlfriend.”

It was met with silence. Barbara pushed her empty glass away and watched him carefully. He groaned, sat up straight, and stared ahead like he was contemplating what to do or say next. She could see his frustration in the way he gripped tightly at the edge of the bar. Suddenly he spoke, barely above a whisper.

“Now I’ve lost them both.”

He sighed and looked away from her, towards the entrance. He watched in silence for a few moments, lack of emotion on his face as Oswald, standing just inside the doorway, stared back at him.


End file.
